Finish for metal articles and method of producing the same



Oct. 2-1. 1924. 1,512,612

w. KRAY FINISH FOR METAL ARTICLES AND METHOD PRODUCING THE SAME FiledFeb. 10 1925 m 2%; W %C ATTOF/VAEVG Patented Oct. 21, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM L. KRAY, 0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO HARD MANUFACTURING(10., 0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

FINISH METAL ARTICLES AND METHOD OF PRODUCING THE SAME.

Application filed February 10,1923. Serial No. 618,378.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVI'LLIAM L. KRAY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement inFinish for Metal Articles andMethods of Producing the Same, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to the decoration or surface finishing ofarticles, such for example, as bedsteads and other articles of furniture made of polished brass or analogous metal.

One object of the invention is to produce brass or analogous polishedmetal articles, particularly articles of furniture which are decoratedor finished so as to match or harmonize with Wooden furniture orarticles of a particular style or finish. For instance, by my inventionan article of furniture, such as a brass bedstead, can be finished inpart or in Whole in imitation of Oircassian walnut or other wood tomatch other articles of furniture made of such wood. Another object ofthe invention is to finish or decorate brass or analogous metal articlesso that they will have the same appearance as if made in part ofpolished metal and in part of wood.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a bedstead end frame finished or decorated inaccordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation on an enlarged scale of a metal tubedecorated or finished in accordance with my invention.

The tube represented in Fig. 2 is a cylindrical, polished brass tubesuch as used in brass bedsteads and other articles of furniture.Ordinarily such tubes are polished or rubbed lengthwise thereof so as toproduce a polished surface, indicated at 10 in the drawings, in whichthe fine abrasions that produce the polished surface run in a generallylengthwise direction. A coating of paint or pigment contrasting in colortothe polished metal surface is then applied thereto as indicated at 11,and this coating is wiped off or partially removed in places before itsets or hardens so that the underlying polished metal surface, which isof a lighter or contrasting color, will show through more or less in thewiped places, thereby producing a design of contrasting portions, whichdesign is preferably such as to represent the ornamental grain of hardwood. For instance, by using a coating hav- .ing the proper brown shade,the polished duce a very close imitation of a polished piece of thiswood. The lengthwise polishing abrasions of the underlying metal surfaceaugments the imitation. Other woods can be imitated in a similar mannerby the use of paints or coatings of appropriate colors. Metal articlesof furniture, or other metal articles, can, therefore, be finished tomatch furniture or other articles made of one or another kind of wood.The component tubes or frame members of the metal article can be thusfinished throughout their length, as in the case of the curved top rail12 of the bedstead end frame shown in Fig. 1, or if desired, portionsonly of the tubes are finished in this way, as in the case of the cornerposts and filler tubes shown in Fig. 1 and the tube shown in Fig. 2.

When this imitation wood finish is used for only a portion of the lengthof the tube, the ends of the coating can be readily made straight bywiping off the end portions of the coating while turning the tube in asuitable lathe or machine.

13 represents circumferential, ornamental polished bands produced bypolishing the metal surface of the tube circumferentially while turningit in the lathe. These polished bands are preferably used at the ends ofthe imitation wood finish, where this extends for only a portion of thelength of the tube, but they can be omitted if preferred.

The ornamental surface or finish, pro duced as described, is preferablyprotected and preserved by a coating of lacquer such as commonly used onpolished metal articles.

I claim as my invention:

1. A finish for metal articles which consists of a polished surfaceproduced on the metal, and a coating on said polished surface whichcontrasts in color therewith, said polished metal surface showingthrough said coating in places and producing a wood grain effect.

2. A finish for metal articles which consists of a polished surfaceproduced on the metal, and a coating on said polished metal surface,said coating being more or less removed in places and permitting saidmetal surface to show through at such places to produce a design.

3. A finish for metal articles which consists of a polished surfaceproduced on the metal, and a coating of contrasting color with saidsurface Which covers a portion only of the area of said polishedsurface,

in color with said polished metal surface, and removing more or lessportions of said coating, thereby permitting said polished metal surfaceto show through said coating in places and produce a design.

5. The hereindescribed method of finishing metal articles, consisting inpolishing the surface of the article, applying to a portion only of thearea of said polished surface a. coating which contrasts in color withsaid polished surface, and removing more or less port-ions of saidcoating to permit said polished metal surface to show through saidcoating in places so as to produce a woodgrain eifect,thereby givingsaid article the appearance of being composed in part of wood and inpart of metal.

WILLIAM L. KRAY.

